Display Rack Adapted for Plant Display

ABSTRACT

A plant display rack allowing for the display and storage of plants in a stacked configuration above the underlying floor. The rack system features a support rack having a plurality of vertical supports elevating a plurality of pairs of horizontally disposed support members above the floor. A plurality of support shelves configured for an engagement with the horizontal support members each have slanted plant support surfaces. The slanted surfaces coerce runoff water to an exit aperture to a reservoir positioned on the display rack. An optional secondary reservoir may be provided to collect runoff water from the individual reservoirs of multiple display racks, and water the plants thereon subsequent to collection.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/365,042, filed on Jul. 16, 2010, and is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention herein disclosed relates generally to the art of racks employed in retail and other locations. More particularly, it relates to a standardizeable display rack adapted for the ongoing display of plants, which provides a means to engage plant support racks which collect water and eliminate drainage on store floors as well as collect runoff from multiple elevated shelves of plants being watered for re-use.

2. Prior Art

Modern industrialized countries have retail and wholesale establishments which deal in home improvement products and generally feature a nursery section providing plant supplies as well as plants themselves. Large national home improvement stores have come to be a primary source of house plants and landscaping plants for customers requiring them.

A conventional mode of display of plants in such establishments is outdoors on a patio area of the store and upon large individual elevated shelves. Frequently, these shelves are formed of plywood which is elevated above the concrete patio surface by empty plant containers supporting the plywood or similar supports.

As is apparent, such shelves using four foot by eight foot plywood to support the plants are large and unsightly. However, retailers use such display methods because the nursery area of the store must be watered regularly to provide the plants being sold with water. The placement of plants in containers on large sheets of elevated plywood affords the opportunity to simply use a hose and appropriate nozzle to water the displayed plants.

Additionally, this mode of conventional display is dictated by the fact that the water is imparted to the plants and containers. By placing the plants in their containers outside, any water reaching the concrete floor generally will drain in a direction of the slant of the floor to a floor-mounted drain.

Consequently, due to the need for watering, many stores severely limit their potential display area for plants indoors since the plants either must be moved outdoors for watering, or, watered indoors where the floor surface can be damaged, or worse, cause puddling of drained water which renders the area of the indoor store unsafe for customers who might slip and injure themselves.

Still further, when displayed outdoors on conventional wide shelves, conventional displays employ only a single shelf which is generally conventionally placed over the valuable floor space under it. This limits plant displayed to customers to one level and minimizes the potential display area for plants for sale.

Further, the wide single layer shelves can make it hard for customers to reach plants situated in the middle of the shelf. Because of this single layer shelving and display of plants for sale in such venues, the outdoor patio area is generally larger than it need be, were the plants to be displayed in shelves spaced and stacked on racks in multiple layers, and customers have a much harder time getting to the plants. For instance a three foot by three foot rack, having five shelves, provides 45 square feet of plant display in nine square feet of floor space. However, a four foot by eight foot plywood conventional shelf, uses up 32 square feet of valuable floor space, which is more than three times the amount of the smaller rack, but provides 30% less display in this excessive use of floor space.

Still further, because plants require watering and so much floor space, they are generally as noted, sold in outdoor areas of the store. In many places, these outdoor areas can become unpleasant for humans and plants alike due to cold temperatures, hot temperatures, and storms.

As such there exists an unmet need for a display rack for live plants and the like, which will allow for the required watering of the plants over time, but concurrently prevent puddling on store floors to allow for indoor display of the plants if desired. Such a rack should increase the storage and display capability of the retailer by minimizing used floor space and maximizing display space for the plants being sold. Finally, such a device in preventing water drainage to the floor surrounding it should ideally provide a means to re-use collected water, especially in dry areas of the country.

The present invention solves the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art of display racks for live plants which must be watered. Employing a unique drainage and reservoir collection system, the device allows for multiple inline racks to be employed on a single support shelf, such that multiple layers of plants may be displayed to buyers. The smaller racks, not only increase display space when stacked, they also allow for easier customer selection of plants since they need not be as wide as the large planar single shelves being employed.

With respect to the above, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the improved racking system for live plants in detail or in general, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components of the shelf, or the steps set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The various apparatus and methods of the disclosed shelf shown and described herein, are capable of other embodiments, and of being practiced and carried out in various ways, all of which will become obvious to those skilled in the art, once they review the information herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded in any fashion as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other modes of stacked shelving having drainage capability, and, for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device and method. It is important, therefore, that the embodiments, objects and claims herein, be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed device and method provide a solution to the above noted shortcomings of conventionally employed store shelving for display of live plants. Through the employment of standardized vertical stacking of supporting trays, plants may be positioned in a plurality of shelves inline over the same floor space area. This vertical stacking may be employed even where the plants are watered frequently, as a drainage system is configured to be connected to mounted trays to communicate water from each tray supporting plants, to a reservoir stowed in a bottom section of the support rack formed by upright tube members.

Each of the plurality of the support trays has a support surface surrounded by a sidewall extending vertically from the support surface. The sidewall terminates at an extending edge portion opposite the support surface and either the edge or the sidewall itself is engaged to a horizontal support member extending between two vertical upright members. Preferably, the horizontal and vertical members are made of metal to support the weight of the plants placed on the support surface which is made of plastic as is the sidewall.

The sidewalls at their communication point with the support surface increase in length or height above the support surface, from a first end of the support surface to a second end of the support surface. When the sidewall is engaged upon a support member, with the horizontal extending edge portion substantially level and co-linear with the support member, the lengthening sidewall provides a means to impart a slant to the support surface from a position furthest from the floor to a position closer to the floor supporting the device. The support surface adjacent to the sidewall at the second end of the support surface is thus the lowest point on the slanting support surface surrounded by a sidewall.

At this lowest point of the slanted support surface is engaged a conduit or tube having an axial passage which communicates through the support surface in a sealed communication with an upper side of the support surface which also provides communication with the bottom of pots holding plants supported by the support surface. A second end of the axial passage is engageable in a sealed communication with a vertical conduit running within an axial passage of one of the four vertical members. The vertical conduit communicates at a lower end with a reservoir positioned on a planar member at the lowest point on the device. Alternatively, a drain may be positioned at the lower end.

In operation, water sprayed on the plants supported on the support surface which flows past the plants and onto the support surface is urged by gravity to run down the slanted support surface and into the axial passage of the tube communicating between the support surface and the vertical conduit. Once in the vertical conduit it flows into the reservoir where it may be reclaimed for use.

The connection of the tube with the lower end of the support surface may be permanent, or in a preferred mode, will be removably engaged by a connector on the tube adapted for a sealed engagement with a seat on the support surface. The removable mode will allow shelves to be replaced, and in the event of mishandling of a shelf, the connector and seat will separate rather than damage the tube.

An optional component of the system will feature a watering cart having a frame supported on casters. An openable storage tank is positioned on the watering cart to collect water from the reservoirs and/or water from the local water supply. Once the tank has a supply of water stored therein, it may be sealed and placed in communicating with a pressurized air supply. An exit conduit in the lower end of the storage tank, communicates water from the storage tank to a spigot adapted for engagement of a hose. When communicating with the pressurized air supply, the water in the tank will exit the tank under pressure to the spigot where it may be sprayed on the plants.

It is an object of this invention to provide a display rack which may be employed indoors and outdoors for the display of plants for sale.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a device which maximizes display space while minimizing used floor space.

Finally, it is an object of this invention to provide such a rack which will allow for watering of plants displayed thereon, yet prevent runoff water from reaching the floor.

These together with other objects and advantages which become subsequently apparent reside in the details of the plant shelf device herein as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURE

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the display rack showing the plurality of plant shelves formed by the plurality of support surfaces.

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1 showing the tube in sealed engagement with the lower end of the slanted display surface and communicating into a vertical tube.

FIG. 3 depicts the device of FIG. 2 with the vertical tube removed and showing the vertical conduit leading to the reservoir.

FIG. 4 depicts the engagement of the tube to the lowest point on the support surface which is surrounded by the sidewall.

FIG. 5 depicts the connection of FIG. 4 and shows the mount engaged between the tube, and a seat formed on the display surface of the shelf.

FIG. 6 depicts the communication provided by the tube between the shelf formed by the display surface and the vertical conduit.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the device showing a permanent attachment of the tube with the display surface of the shelf.

FIG. 8 depicts the optional cart having a container adapted to receive water from reservoirs, and having a pressurized air supply which is engageable with the container in when the container is sealed thereby providing means to pressurize the water in the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the FIGS. 1-8 in FIG. 1 is seen a perspective view of the display rack device 10 having a plurality of standardized plant shelves 12 supported in an as-used position between pairs of horizontal support members 18. The shelves 12 form a plurality of support surfaces 14 plant support surfaces which are supported by the support members 18. Current favored modes of the device 10 employ a means for engagement to the support members 18 using support surfaces 14 engaged with sidewalls 16 vertically extending therefrom, having ledges 13 extending horizontally from a top edge. The shelves 12 are supported by horizontal supporting members 18 which are engaged between a pair of vertical supporting members 20 supporting them. The ledge 13 is a preferred mode to engage the shelves 12 upon the horizontal supporting members 18 as it allows them to be dropped into position easily and easily interchanged.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2-3, the sidewalls extend vertically from the support surface 14 at an increasing distance from the support surface 14 between a first and second end of the shelves 12. When the sidewalls 16 are engaged to the horizontal members 18, either by the ledges 13 or other means, it provides a means to position the support surface 14 in a slant from a highest position D1, at the first end, to a lowest point D2, at the second end which is generally at a rear portion of the sidewall 16. The lowest point D2, will normally be positioned opposite the aisle where the customer would access the shelf 12.

At a position along a line running through this lowest point of the support surface 14 is an aperture in a sealed engagement with a tube 22. The tube 22 has an axial passage in sealed communication between the support surface 14 at a first end. The second end 29 is engageable with a vertical conduit 24 leading to a reservoir 26. This can be done by making the second end 29 elastic or otherwise engageable in a sealed engagement to the conduit 24. This allows the user to substitute in any shelf 12 and simply engage the second end 29 to the conduit 24.

As shown in larger format in FIG. 4 the tube 22 engages to the lowest point on the support surface 14 (below the ridge 13 or top of horizontal support member) at the longest point of the sidewall 16 and thus the support surface 14. It may be a permanent engagement as in FIG. 6 or FIG. 7 or using means for a removable engagement such as in FIG. 5 using a fitting 23 sealably engageable with a seat 25 formed in the bottom surface 14 of the shelf 12 or other means for removable engagement to allow swapping of the shelves 12 and concurrent user engagement. This would allow for engagement of the shelf 12 during substitution by leaving the tube 22 in place and engaging the first end of the tube 22 once the shelf 12 is mounted.

Water collecting in the reservoirs 26 may be communicated to a drain, or it may be collected and placed in a secondary container 27 mounted on a wheeled cart 28 for re-use as may other water supplies. A pressurized air supply 30 is engageable with the container 27 once the container 27 is sealed with water deposited inside. The pressure created in the container 27 forces water through a conduit leading to a hose fitting 34 which may be engaged with a hose to water the plants.

While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the display rack for plants herein, and employment thereof, have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features of the display rack without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the disclosed system and apparatus as defined by the following claims. 

1. A plant display rack configured for a stacking of plants, comprising: a support rack having an upper end and a lower end; a plurality of vertical supports extending between said upper end and said lower end; a plurality of pairs of horizontally disposed support members extending between said vertical supports; a plurality of support shelves, said support shelves each configured for an engagement to an as-used position between a said pair of said support members; a support surface formed by a support wall of each of said support members, said support surface in said as-used position, having a slant running from a highest position to a lowest position of said support surface; an aperture communicating through said support wall of each of said support surfaces, said aperture located proximate to said lowest position of each said support surface; means for sealed engagement of said aperture to a conduit communicating with a reservoir positioned below all said support surfaces of all of said plurality of support shelves; said plurality of support shelves in said as used position providing means to stack a plurality of racks of plants on said support shelves over a single underlying floor surface; and said slant of each said support surface of said plurality of support shelves providing means to collect runoff water from water communicated to said plants supported on said plurality of support shelves and thereby prevent a communication of said runoff water to said underlying floor surface.
 2. The plant display rack of claim 1 wherein said support shelves are each configured for said engagement to said as-used position between a said pair of said support members by means of engagement comprising: a vertical wall extending around a perimeter of each said support surface; a ledge positioned upon two opposing sections of said vertical wall; and said ledge providing means for engagement between a said pair of said horizontally disposed support members.
 3. The plant display rack of claim 1 wherein means for sealed engagement of said aperture to a conduit communicating with a reservoir comprises: a hose running between a first end engaged to a fitting in a sealed engagement to said aperture, to a second end in a sealed communication with said conduit.
 4. The plant display rack of claim 2 wherein means for sealed engagement of said aperture to a conduit communicating with a reservoir comprises: a hose running between a first end engaged to a fitting in a sealed engagement to said aperture, to a second end in a sealed communication with said conduit.
 5. The plant display rack of claim 3 wherein one of said first or second end of said hose is removably engageable wherein a said plurality of support shelves are removably engageable with said support rack to said as-used position, and said hose is removably engageable to said sealed communication with said conduit.
 6. The plant display rack of claim 4 wherein one of said first or second end of said hose is removably engageable wherein a said plurality of support shelves are removably engageable with said support rack to said as-used position, and said hose is removably engageable to said sealed communication with said conduit.
 7. The plant display rack of claim 3 wherein said conduit is positioned with an axial passage formed in one of said plurality of vertical supports.
 8. The plant display rack of claim 4 wherein said conduit is positioned with an axial passage formed in one of said plurality of vertical supports.
 9. The plant display rack of claim 5 wherein said conduit is positioned with an axial passage formed in one of said plurality of vertical supports.
 10. The plant display rack of claim 6 wherein said conduit is positioned with an axial passage formed in one of said plurality of vertical supports.
 11. The plant display rack of claim 1 additionally comprising: a wheeled rack, said wheeled rack having a secondary reservoir thereon; a hose engaged to said reservoir at a first end and having a distal end; said secondary reservoir configured to receive said runoff water from said reservoir; a compressed air supply engaged to said wheeled rack and engageable to said secondary reservoir to render it pressurized; and said secondary reservoir when pressurized providing means to reuse said runoff water to irrigate said plants by communication of said runoff water to said plants from said distal end of said hose.
 12. The plant display rack of claim 2 additionally comprising: a wheeled rack, said wheeled rack having a secondary reservoir thereon; a hose engaged to said reservoir at a first end and having a distal end; said secondary reservoir configured to receive said runoff water from said reservoir; a compressed air supply engaged to said wheeled rack and engageable to said secondary reservoir to render it pressurized; and said secondary reservoir when pressurized providing means to reuse said runoff water to irrigate said plants by communication of said runoff water to said plants from said distal end of said hose.
 13. The plant display rack of claim 3 additionally comprising: a wheeled rack, said wheeled rack having a secondary reservoir thereon; a hose engaged to said reservoir at a first end and having a distal end; said secondary reservoir configured to receive said runoff water from said reservoir; a compressed air supply engaged to said wheeled rack and engageable to said secondary reservoir to render it pressurized; and said secondary reservoir when pressurized providing means to reuse said runoff water to irrigate said plants by communication of said runoff water to said plants from said distal end of said hose.
 14. The plant display rack of claim 4 additionally comprising: a wheeled rack, said wheeled rack having a secondary reservoir thereon; a hose engaged to said reservoir at a first end and having a distal end; said secondary reservoir configured to receive said runoff water from said reservoir; a compressed air supply engaged to said wheeled rack and engageable to said secondary reservoir to render it pressurized; and said secondary reservoir when pressurized providing means to reuse said runoff water to irrigate said plants by communication of said runoff water to said plants from said distal end of said hose.
 15. The plant display rack of claim 5 additionally comprising: a wheeled rack, said wheeled rack having a secondary reservoir thereon; a hose engaged to said reservoir at a first end and having a distal end; said secondary reservoir configured to receive said runoff water from said reservoir; a compressed air supply engaged to said wheeled rack and engageable to said secondary reservoir to render it pressurized; and said secondary reservoir when pressurized providing means to reuse said runoff water to irrigate said plants by communication of said runoff water to said plants from said distal end of said hose.
 16. The plant display rack of claim 6 additionally comprising: a wheeled rack, said wheeled rack having a secondary reservoir thereon; a hose engaged to said reservoir at a first end and having a distal end; said secondary reservoir configured to receive said runoff water from said reservoir; a compressed air supply engaged to said wheeled rack and engageable to said secondary reservoir to render it pressurized; and said secondary reservoir when pressurized providing means to reuse said runoff water to irrigate said plants by communication of said runoff water to said plants from said distal end of said hose.
 17. The plant display rack of claim 7 additionally comprising: a wheeled rack, said wheeled rack having a secondary reservoir thereon; a hose engaged to said reservoir at a first end and having a distal end; said secondary reservoir configured to receive said runoff water from said reservoir; a compressed air supply engaged to said wheeled rack and engageable to said secondary reservoir to render it pressurized; and said secondary reservoir when pressurized providing means to reuse said runoff water to irrigate said plants by communication of said runoff water to said plants from said distal end of said hose.
 18. The plant display rack of claim 8 additionally comprising: a wheeled rack, said wheeled rack having a secondary reservoir thereon; a hose engaged to said reservoir at a first end and having a distal end; said secondary reservoir configured to receive said runoff water from said reservoir; a compressed air supply engaged to said wheeled rack and engageable to said secondary reservoir to render it pressurized; and said secondary reservoir when pressurized providing means to reuse said runoff water to irrigate said plants by communication of said runoff water to said plants from said distal end of said hose.
 19. The plant display rack of claim 9 additionally comprising: a wheeled rack, said wheeled rack having a secondary reservoir theron; a hose engaged to said reservoir at a first end and having a distal end; said secondary reservoir configured to receive said runoff water from said reservoir; a compressed air supply engaged to said wheeled rack and engageable to said secondary reservoir to render it pressurized; and said secondary reservoir when pressurized providing means to reuse said runoff water to irrigate said plants by communication of said runoff water to said plants from said distal end of said hose.
 20. The plant display rack of claim 10 additionally comprising: a wheeled rack, said wheeled rack having a secondary reservoir thereon; a hose engaged to said reservoir at a first end and having a distal end; said secondary reservoir configured to receive said runoff water from said reservoir; a compressed air supply engaged to said wheeled rack and engageable to said secondary reservoir to render it pressurized; and said secondary reservoir when pressurized providing means to reuse said runoff water to irrigate said plants by communication of said runoff water to said plants from said distal end of said hose. 